THE SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT 2000 ANNUAL REPORT OAKLAND COUNTY PROBATE COURT 1 Message from Chief Circuit Judge . 2 Message from Chief Probate Judge. 3 CONTENTS OF TABLE History of the Courts. 4 Judges of the Circuit Court . 8 Judges of the Probate Court . 13 Circuit Court – Judicial Administration Message from the Court Administrator . 14 Circuit/Probate Administrative Structure . 15 Circuit Court – General Jurisdiction Division General Jurisdiction Overview . 16 Jury Office . 17 Case Management Office. 18 Circuit Court – Family Division Family Division Overview . 20 Friend of the Court . 22 Court Services . 24 Judicial Support. 26 Circuit Court – Business Division Business Division Overview. 28 Financial Report . 30 Probate Court – Estates and Mental Health Estates and Mental Health Overview . 32 Thank You to Our Collaborating Departments and Agencies . 34 Volunteers Make a Difference . 35 Judicial Information Management System (JIMS) . 36 A Year in Review . 38 Annual Awards . 40 Staff Recognition . 42 Judicial Retirements. 43 Acknowledgments . 44 2 Circuit Court for the County of Oakland BUILDING 12 EAST DEPT 404 1200 N. TELEGRAPH RD PONTIAC MI 48341-0404 BARRY L. HOWARD SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT CIRCUIT JUDGE OF MICHIGAN 248-858-5284 The Honorable Barry L. Howard Elected Officials, Staff, and the Citizens of Oakland County: We in the Circuit and Probate Courts have had our share of defining moments – major events wherein we mobilized our resources and modified our operations. Recent history points to the creation of the Family Division, instituting new procedures for receipting and distributing child support, and implementing a newly legislated Probate Code, to name but a few. Defining moments can influence our present state and shape our destiny. They require careful planning, attention to detail, and teamwork. Three events occurred this past year that illustrate, to varying degrees, the Courts’ commitment to continuous improvement. The Family Division was created out of necessity, borne by legislation enacted in 1996. The Family Division has existed for three years, but it wasn’t until 2000 that we administratively merged the Courts to reflect the organizational and financial reality that is the Circuit Court Family Division. A talented and dedicated judiciary and staff worked tirelessly to fulfill its mission to merge the Courts so that our form follows function. Today the Circuit Court administers a budget exceeding $47 million, employs 419 people, and handles more than 33,000 new cases and complaints annually. A worthy goal of the Courts is to implement creative and sound approaches to docket management. Just such an approach was employed in late 2000. Settlement conferences involving older civil cases were scheduled during a nine-week period before three visiting judges. Cases that did not settle were scheduled for immediate trial. Of the 414 cases scheduled, 331 settled for an astonishing 80% settlement rate. The program was successful, thanks to judicial support and participation, the contributions of our three visiting judges, and an incredible effort on the part of the Circuit Court’s Case Management Office. A third defining moment occurred in March when the county authorized the acquisition and installation of an integrated case management system known as JIMS. The new computer system will provide for the electronic exchange of case information between the courts, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the Clerk’s Office. Some 900 employees will use the system when we go live in 2002, not to mention countless attorneys and litigants who will have remote access to public docket and case information. This is a monumental effort that requires individual commitment to achieving collective success. These defining moments will have enormous impact on the Courts’ operations, responsiveness to constituents, and obligations to tax payers for years to come. As Chief Judge, I’m ever mindful of the effort required on the part of so many to realize the achievements we experi- MESSAGE FROM CHIEF CIRCUIT FROM MESSAGE JUDGE enced in 2000. I’m also confident that we will continue to muster the resolve and dedication to bring to reality the defining moments that are yet to come. Very truly yours, Barry Howard Chief Judge 3 State of Michigan LINDA S. HALLMARK JUDGE The Circuit Court for the Sixth Judicial Circuit - Family Division MESSAGE FROM CHIEF PROBATE JUDGE CHIEF PROBATE FROM MESSAGE Probate Court for the County of Oakland The Honorable Linda S. Hallmark Dear Reader: It is with pleasure that we are presenting the year 2000 Annual Report for the Oakland County Circuit and Probate Courts. This edition of our Annual Report is a milestone, as it is the first year that our Circuit and Probate Courts have combined their efforts into one report. With the implementation of the Family Division of the Circuit Court in 1998, our courts quickly recognized the efficiencies and benefits of combin- ing many of our court operations. After intensive efforts by our Circuit and Probate Court judges, administration, and staff, an administrative merger was completed in October of 2000. While we continue to provide Probate Court services through our Probate Court judges, and Estates and Mental Health areas, our Circuit and Probate Court administrations are completely merged, and all of our staff previously assigned to the Family Division have now been transferred as Circuit Court employees. On April 1, 2000, the Estates and Protected Individual Act (EPIC) became effective. EPIC was the first comprehensive revision of Probate Law since 1979 and replaced the prior Revised Probate Code (RPC). Our dedicated staff has worked diligently to implement these massive statutory changes with the least amount of disruption to the Bar and the public. We are extremely proud of the Estates and Mental Health staff members for their hard work and professionalism during this difficult transition. Year 2000 also saw the retirement of one of our most esteemed colleagues, the Honorable Sandra G. Silver. Judge Silver was appointed by Governor James Blanchard to the Probate bench in June of 1988. She had previously served as an Oakland County Public Administrator for 10 years prior to her appointment as well as a labor arbitrator. Judge Silver was an active and dedicated Probate Judge serving on both Probate Committees and Mental Health Committees of the Michigan Probate Judges Association. Judge Silver dedicated her career to the citizens of Oakland County and will be greatly missed. Year 2000 also brought a national and state focus on volunteers. Oakland County is blessed with over 1,000 dedicated volunteers who help serve our citizens and families. Through our Youth Assistance program, volunteers are extensively involved in all aspects of our community organization activities. They identify the resources and factors in each community that may con- tribute to delinquency, abuse, and neglect. Our Youth Assistance, through their volunteer boards, has been successful in implementing and supporting these community-based programs. Typically, 30,000 to 35,000 youth and adults annually participate in programs offered by our Youth Assistance program. This is just one of our family focused approaches that our newly merged Family Division supports. The year 2001 will continue to bring many changes and new challenges, including continued efforts to complete our administrative mergers. Our goal has always been to provide operations of a unified court system that are more efficient and better serve our children, families, and Oakland County citizens. I thank you for your continued support and interest in our courts and their services to the public. Sincerely yours, Linda S. Hallmark Chief Probate Court Judge 4 Judges of the Circuit Court: Sanford M. Green 1848–1852 Sanford M. Green 1958–1970 Joseph Copeland 1852–1858 James S. Dewey 1870–1874 Levi B. Taft 1873–1876 Aug C. Baldwin 1876–1880 Silas B. Gaskill 1880–1882 William Stickney 1882–1888 Joseph B. Moore 1888–1896 George W. Smith 1896–1908 Kleber P. Rockwell 1917–1921 Frank L. Covert 1919–1933 Glenn C. Gillespie 1922–1934 Early Justice in Oakland Frank L. Doty 1928–1959 County Goodloe H. Rogers 1935 Territorial law once governed the region we now know as Oakland George B. Hartrick 1935–1958 County. Justice was dispensed by judges of the Supreme Court of the H. Russel Holland 1935–1965 Northwest Territory on a rotational basis. By 1787, three of these judges were Clark J. Adams 1956–1973 assigned to our district. In 1805, Congress passed an act creating the territory Sanford M. Green 1958–1970 William J. Beer 1958–1980 of Michigan, and district courts were temporarily established to resolve some Theodore Hughes 1959 local disputes. Stanton G. Dondero 1959–1965 County courts were established in 1815. At this time, laws were enacted by Frederick C. Ziem 1959–1986 the governor and three judges stationed in Cincinnati, Ohio. They defined Arthur E. Moore 1963–1976 crimes and punishments, commanded the strict observance of Sunday as a Philip Pratt 1963–1970 day of rest, prohibited swearing, drunkenness, and regulated marriages. It is James S. Thorburn 1963–1988 William R. Beasley 1966–1976 during this period that courthouses and jails were established. Farrell E. Roberts 1966–1982 In 1818, the governor and Supreme Court instituted the first probate courts Daniel C. Devine 1966–1966 for all counties. Justice in Oakland County was originally practiced from a Daniel C. Devine 1969–1969 primitive log cabin in the pioneer village of Pontiac, situated on the east side Robert L. Templin 1966–1986 of Perry Street between Lawrence and Pike. According to Judge Crofoot, the William P. Hampton 1970–1976 Richard D. Kuhn 1973–Present crude cabin, built around 1820, lacked “door, floor, or chimney.” Mercifully, John N. O’Brien 1972–1993 this simple structure served the needs of the justice community for only a very Robert B. Webster 1973–1982 brief time. Steven N. Andrews 1976–Present The first structure built specifically as a county courthouse was erected in Alice L.